Modern day radio communication devices are being continually designed and manufactured with greater reliability yet lower manufacturing costs and simplified assembly. With a continuing demand for better capabilities and additional service features the circuitry has become ever increasingly complex and more dense when arranged on associated circuit boards or the like.
The expected increase in operating efficiencies and new or additional service features have been, for the most part, achieved on a reasonably broad front. However, this does not mean that operating parameters or requirements have simply been ignored or somehow has, or can be, designed away.
In RF circuitry, for example, shielding is still a necessity which requires appropriate connection of such shield and adequate circuit ground. A shield of an appropriate conductive material must somehow be reliably connected to a conductive ground circuit on the printed circuit board yet be readily removable for servicing of the RF circuitry, being so shielded, if the need so arises.
One approach taken to a grounding an RF shield is to simply solder a part of the shield to a conductive circuit. Although this type of connection is reliable, it is not easily replaceable.
Another approach taken to a grounding an RF shield is to form a spring member, extending from the RF shield, and bias an end of the spring member against a surface of a conductive circuit. Although, this type of connection is easily replaceable, it is not as reliable as the solder approach.
Consequently, there is a need for an electrical interconnect apparatus for an RF shield that is reliable and yet easily replaceable.